1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices that require an electric battery during the course of their conventional operation, such as certain boats, recreation vehicles (RVs), and automobiles. It is particularly directed to an improved hold-down structure adapted to resist theft of such battery.
2. State of the Art
Many vehicles require a battery to store electrical power for use when a hard-wired electric utility (e.g. 110 or 220 volts) is not available. For example, RVs typically employ one or more battery to operate lights, fans, and certain appliances, such as a refrigerator, or television. Particularly in the case of boats and RVs, such batteries desirably are of the extra heavy duty cycle type, and are therefore relatively expensive.
Known battery hold-down devices are primarily functional only to resist movement of the battery with respect to the support foundation on which the battery rests during conventional operation of the vehicle. One such hold-down includes a clamping bar spanning between a pair of threaded rods. The clamping bar is drawn into trapping engagement with the battery by tightening wing nuts along the axis of the threaded bars. Commonly, a battery for use in certain RVs may be disposed inside a commercially available plastic battery container, with the whole assembly then being lashed to a battery support foundation using a strap, such as a length of nylon webbing.
Unfortunately, batteries associated with various vehicles may become the target of thieves. The known battery hold-down structures lack a locking element operable to resist removal of the battery from its support by a thief armed with little more than a common wrench, and possibly a knife. Removal of a battery installed using known hold-down devices may simply entail backing off a couple of wing nuts by hand, loosening a few threaded fasteners using an adjustable wrench, and/or potentially cutting a piece of plastic or webbing. Beside the aggravation of not being able to operate the various appliances upon discovery of the theft, the victim of a battery theft must also bear the financial burden of replacing the battery.
It would be an improvement in the art to provide a battery hold-down device that is operable to resist removal of a battery by a thief. A further advance would provide a theft-resistant battery hold-down device that is also effective to retain a battery in an installed position during conventional operation of a vehicle.